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“LOUISIANA PACIFIC RECEIVES DOE ANTIPOLLUTION AWARD” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1085 on May 19, 1995.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
LOUISIANA PACIFIC RECEIVES DOE ANTIPOLLUTION AWARD
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HON. FRANK RIGGS
of california
in the house of representatives
Thursday, May 18, 1995
Mr. RIGGS. Mr. Speaker, one of the greatest challenges we face today is protecting our environment while sustaining economic growth. We simply must do both, and when we see a success story, we have the responsibility to not only tell others about it.
Such is the case with the Louisiana-Pacific Corp. and its pulp mill in Samoa, CA, in the First Congressional District which I represent. As a testament to the company's forward thinking and innovativeness, they have developed the only chlorine-free Kraft pulp mill in North America.
The leaders of the company and mill have worked for years to improve the effluent from the plant and now their diligence is being rewarded. The Department of Energy has announced that Louisiana-Pacific has been awarded a grant under its National Industrial Competitiveness through Energy, Environment and Economics project, which seeks to prevent pollution, save energy and produce benefits to the Nation's economy.
The work undertaken by Louisiana-Pacific under the grant will implement a closed cycle system at the Samoa Mill, which will eliminate effluent from the mill's bleach plant. It will assure that no bleach plant wastewater will be discharged into the Pacific Ocean.
The Samoa Mill, constructed in 1964, produces an average of 650 tons of bleached Kraft pulp per day from waste and wood chips generated by local sawmills. In January 1994, the Samoa Mill became the only North American Kraft pulp mill to produce bleached pulp without the use of chlorine or chlorine-containing compounds on a permanent basis.
Because the mill has converted to totally chlorine free, or TCF, it has unique opportunities for taking the next steps to achieve closed cycle operation. The successful commercialization of a full scale TCF closed cycle Kraft pulp mill in the United States, with its resultant environmental benefits, would have worldwide implications.
When the award was made, Secretary of Energy Hazel O'Leary praised Louisiana-Pacific's innovative research. It was her belief that the company's commitment to pollution prevention and energy conservation will lead the pulp and paper industry into the next millennia.
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Bob Simpson, Louisiana-Pacific's general manager, Fred Martin, manager of the Samoa Mill, and all of those who work for this important northern California employer. I also urge my colleagues to do their part for the environment and consider using totally chlorine free paper, which is available from the House Office Supply Service.
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